


Immortal Hunt

by dairesfanficrefuge_archivist



Category: Highlander - All Media Types, Space: Above and Beyond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-07-25
Updated: 2001-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-18 06:17:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11868399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dairesfanficrefuge_archivist/pseuds/dairesfanficrefuge_archivist
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atDaire's Fanfic Refuge. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onDaire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile.





	Immortal Hunt

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Daire's Fanfic Refuge](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Daire%27s_Fanfic_Refuge). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Daire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/dairesfanficrefuge/profile).

Immortal Hunt by KarenK

_Immortal Hunt_

By KarenK 

A _Highlander/Space Above and Beyond_ fanfic 

**Status:** unfinished 

* * *

**PART 1**

"Now that's the kind of body that causes wet dreams," Lieutenant Jack Mackenize sighed dreamily. The others looked over to where Mackenize was staring to see a chestnut haired woman leaning over the pool table about to take her shot. Lieutenant Cooper Hawkes had to agree that the girl was beautiful. There was an eternal quality to her due to her face; she had round eyes, high cheekbones, and a pug nose with full lips that gave her an elfin appearance. Chestnut hair framed her face and flowed down her back as her hazel eyes sparked with intelligence and amusement. 

Hawkes saw the 58th's commabing officer, Colonel T.C. McQueen, watching her and realized that Mackenize wasn't the woman's only admirer. "You'd best be careful, Mac, because if she hears you she'll come over here and stick that cue somewhere on your body where it would be extremely painful to extract," said Lieutenant Shane Vansen. 

The others laughed. "Very funny Vansen, but trust me, she's too far away to hear me. Besides, it's natural for men to admire a true beauty like hers...." Mackenize was interrupted by the crack of a cue as it slammed down onto the table in front of him. 

"True beauty? Harumph! Put some of that on my garden, son, it could use the manure." Some of the surrounding tables broke into laughter. The woman though continued in the same even voice. "Stop being juvenile and become a real man and realize that the heart and soul never changes while the body never stays the same," she chided before turning on her heel and returning to her game. McQueen strolled over and she looked up from her shot and assessed him the way a wolf would a rabbit that was about to become it's dinner. 

"Can I do something for you?" she asked with a hint of amusement in her voice. 

"I was just wondering if such a sassy lady would be interested in a game of pool," McQueen asked. Her only answer was to toss him her cue and rack the balls for a new game. "Play much?" 

"Not since I was a kid, but there isn't much to do on a ship." McQueen assessed her from her chestnut hair down past a plain unadorned solid colored T-shirt and snug fitting blue jeans to scruffy sneakers. "You or me?" she asked. 

McQueen glanced up at her, a little puzzled and a little embarrassed at having caught himself at what could be considered ogling a woman quite a few years his junior. Or at least quite a few in human years. Being an In Vitro, she was probably older than him in some cosmic poetic justice. "Ladies first," he answered and she leaned into the shot as fluidly as a panther. 

As she was about to take the shot she suddenly stood and tensed. She seemed to be trying to hear something. Suddenly she shoved her cue backwards only to be met with resistance. She tried to jerk the cue up in an attempt to free it and then strike whoever was behind her. The cue met with resistance again and she turned with an annoyed expression to confront the interloper. A look of shock and then pleasure crossed her face as she realized who it was. 

"Karen MacLeod, is that any way to greet your family?" chided the brown haired man who had blue eyes like ice, but they twinkled with amusement. 

"Connor!" she practically squealed as she released the cue and flung her arms about his neck. He hugged her and planted a kiss on her cheek. 

"Mac, Methos, it's good to see you too," she acknowledged the two men standing behind Connor. She turned back to McQueen. "Can I forfeit?" 

"No I won't accept anything less than a raincheck." 

"A raincheck it is Colonel...?" she smiled. 

"T.C. McQueen." Karen reached out to shake his offered hand only to have him kiss her hand gently. "I'll be waiting Miss MacLeod." McQueen watched her head over to a table before heading back to the bar. He sat down next to Commodore Glen Ross and noticed his friend had a big silly grin plastered across his face. "What?" he asked Ross in an annoyed tone. 

"You're gone on that girl aren't you, Ty?" Ross asked as his grin grew wider. 

"You're nuts! She's half my age!" he complained, but could see it didn't change Ross's opinion. 

"I wouldn't mind her smiling in my direction. In fact, I wouldn't kick her out of bed on a cold night," Ross replied. 

  
After the waiter had brought their drinks, Karen raised her glass. "To the memory of long absent friends. Especially Darius, Joe, Fitz and Richie." They clinked their glasses in agreement. "So, how have things been with you guys?" she asked and watched as the guys exchanged worried glances. 

"Cade, there's an Immortal out there hunting and we've been able to track him this far," said Methos. 

"Must be a bad one if the five thousand year old man's worried," she answered. 

"He's very bad and we'd like you to take extra special care until he's stopped," Connor cautioned. 

"In other words, hide in my quarters and let you big strong capable men take care of it. Not a chance in hell, Connor." 

"Cade...." began Mac. 

"Let's just enjoy our time together, however short it may be, Duncan. As Marion Zimmer Bradley once said, 'the world will go as it will and not as we would have it'." She clinked her glass with Mac's and proceeded to do just as she said. 

  
While on her way back to her quarters, a chill worked it's way up Karen's spine as she had a strong sense of someone watching her. She stiffened her resolve and drew her sword as she strode forward. After a few yards she paused as she sensed the presence of another Immortal. Her fingers tightened on her sword, she couldn't see him but she could sense that he was very close. 

Something struck her from behind and she hit the ground face first. Pain spasmed throughout her body as she rolled and sprang to her feet. He had knocked the wind out of her. "You had your chance but you wasted it. Now it's my turn," she said as she tried to keep the pain out of her voice. She lashed out with her sword and then drew back to avoid the other Immortal's thrust. They circled each other warily as Karen felt her heart begin to race as it always did at times like these. 

He thrust at her and she dodged to the side. She lunged forward with the sword and he dodged the blow but failed to see her kick out at his leg. She struck him in the stomach causing him to double over. He lunged at Karen and she moved to avoid his lunge but she moved too slowly. His blade sank into her stomach and she tried to cry out but all that came out was a gurgle and a mouthful of blood. 

McQueen had arrived to investigate the noise just as the Immortal drew out his sword and drove it in again with force. Karen looked down and then her head came up and her eyes met McQueen's. "No!" McQueen screamed as he saw her eyes widen as her lips moved but no sound came out. The Immortal jerked his sword out of Karen and ran off. McQueen thought for a second about following him but realized Karen was seriously injured. 

He leapt forward and caught her in his arms as she fell. He smoothed the hair out of her face as he felt the tears begin to roll down his face. He laid her down and yanked up her T-shirt before ripping part of his shirt. He used it to clean her wound and McQueen was glad to see her wound had apparently stopped bleeding. He checked her pulse with a shaking hand. He checked twice more to be sure; she had no pulse. 

Karen MacLeod was dead and McQueen drew her lifeless body into his arms. The enormity of her death hit him all at once. She was too young to have died; a woman like her should have been able to live a full life. He glanced down at the ugly wound that disfigured such a lovely young woman. McQueen blinked as he was unable to believe what he was seeing. Her wound seemed to be healing as the edges of the wound closed together and seemed to meld right in front of his eyes. 

Suddenly, Karen went rigid as her back arched and she sucked a breath in. Her eyes went wide and then she went limp again as she stared up at him. "Oh no!" she whispered and then attempted to sit up but she was still too weak. 

McQueen helped her up and held her steady as she stumbled into him. "We'd better get you to the doctor." 

"No!" she answered and then winced at the harshness in her tone. "Loan me your jacket and help me to my quarters and then I'll explain everything." 

McQueen tucked the torn edge of his shirt in and while holding Karen, he slipped out of his jacket. He slipped his jacket on her and he couldn't help but smile at how young she looked. He wiped her blood from her face as best he could and then helped her to her quarters. He settled her on her bunk and then removed his jacket before proceeding to remove her T-shirt. She gripped his wrist with strength that belied her appearance. "You're shy?" he asked in an amused tone. 

Her hand dropped and he removed her T-shirt before going to get the first aid kit. He also brought water, a rag, a glass, and what looked to be a very old bottle of Irish whiskey. McQueen cleaned the wound area as she quietly submitted to his administrations. Once he'd cleaned the wound area he realized the first aid kit was unnecessary since the wound had healed without so much as a scar. 

He poured a glass of whiskey, and was tempted to drink it and the rest of the bottle. Instead he handed the glass to her and she gave him a dubious look but swallowed it in one gulp. She coughed violently, suggesting to McQueen that she wasn't a drinker. "Why don't you start by telling me what the hell you are?!" asked McQueen quietly. 

"I am Immortal." She looked him straight in the eye as if she were trying to gauge the humor of a joke. 

"That's nuts!" McQueen answered as he ran a hand through his hair, trying to come to terms with what had happened. 

"I was born ninety-six years ago Colonel," she replied quietly. 

McQueen searched the face of a woman who was between twenty and twenty five in his opinion for something, anything, to explain this sudden insanity. With a sinking stomach he realized that she truly believed she was ninety-six years old. "Listen I...." he began and she sighed before turning from him and pulling his knife from its sheath. "What are you going to do with that?!" he asked in a worried tone. Ty gasped as she sliced deeply into her palm with the knife. "I'm getting the doctor!" he said in a panicked tone. 

She grasped his arm, stopping him and then wiped her hand off on the section of shirt he'd bandaged her stomach with before lifting a hand palm up to him. The palm he'd seen her slice appeared to be unblemished. He grabbed her hand and examined it thoroughly before dropping her hand in shock. He sat down heavily next to her, unable to accept what a sane mind should have to accept. 

"Colonel...." she began. 

"Ty, call me Ty," he whispered. Karen turned and laid her hand gently on his face before leaning in and thoroughly kissing him. He looked up at her in shock. 

"I was wondering how it felt and figured I better find out before you turn me in to become the lab rat from hell." 

Ty looked at her in anger. "I would never do that to anyone!" he answered in a low, dangerous tone that sent a chill through her. 

"I'm sorry, but I have to trust in the lowest human traits." 

"I'm not human!" he said angrily; it was her turn to look shocked. "I'm an In Vitro," he replied quietly. 

"Oh!" she whispered. 

"It doesn't matter to me what you are, but as an In Vitro you have to understand why I don't advertise." Karen took Ty's hand in hers and squeezed it gently to reassure him. "Don't worry, I won't tell on you," he replied. Karen stroked his cheek gently. Ty drew her into his arms and kissed her roughly as he lowered her to the bed. 

Karen knew it was wrong to be doing what they were headed towards, but emotions were running high. She could even protest that they were being carried away by emotion and should stop, but because what he was doing felt so good, the thought fled from her mind and she forgot how to speak. 

She snuggled up to him and stroked his chest, "Ty I...." she began. 

"What's it like?" 

"Being Immortal? I can't really say, I mean we're just like humans except we can't die. All Immortals are foundlings, so we don't know who our parents are and we can't have children." Ty picked up the note of sorrow in her tone when she spoke of not being able to have children. 

"You wanted children." 

"I'd give up my life to have a child. Kids are the most precious gift this universe offers and I wanted to be a part of that," Karen replied in a tone that was close to tears. "I have no idea who my mom and dad are and I'm constantly on guard against being attacked." 

"You know what an In Vitro feels like then," he answered matter-of-factly. 

She laughed. "I guess you and I have a lot in common then, huh, tube boy," she teased. 

"Actually, that's tank boy to you, Immortal lady," he teased back. 

"No need to insult a woman!" Karen answered in mock anger. She laughed at Ty's puzzled look. "No need to use bad language like calling me a lady." She tickled him until he was gasping and declaring surrender. She gazed at him for a moment and then stroked the side of his face gently, lovingly, before she lowered her head to his and kissed him wistfully. "You'd better be going," she said in a sad, wistful tone. 

"Why?" 

"Because you put yourself in enough danger by rescuing me from the quickening, let alone what danger you'll be in if you continue to associate with me." 

* * *

© 2002   
Please send comments to the author! 

07/25/2001 

* * *


End file.
